Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

A. Government Issues
A.1 Government Issues (cont’d)
The Province recently reviewed its Capital Plan and found ways to reduce its borrowing costs to
generate savings of $120 million over three years. It intends to sharpen project management
discipline of all of its funded projects by implementing a new alternative financing and
procurement model. A concurrent comprehensive review of the electricity sector, intended to
improve efficiencies and reduce costs, may also contribute to government and partner efforts to
bring projects in within budget.
Research and Technology
Despite cut-backs in many areas, the Federal Government is choosing to persist with its
investments in the area of innovation. Several new investments were included in the current
Budget including:
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$110 million per year starting in 2012/13 to double support for companies through the
Industrial Research Assistance Program. This will allow the National Research Council
to support additional small- and medium-sized businesses that create high-value jobs,
and to expand the services provided to businesses through the Program’s Industrial
Technology Advisors;
$67 million in 2012/13 to support the National Research Council in refocusing on
business-led, industry-relevant research. In consultation with businesses and university
and college stakeholders, the Government will consider ways to better focus the
National Research Council on demand-driven research, consistent with the
recommendations of the Expert Panel;
$500 million over five years to support advanced research infrastructure through the
Canada Foundation for Innovation. The funding will support new competitions, including
the College-Industry Innovation Fund, with funding awarded in 2014/15;
$7 million per year to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for
Industry-Academic partnership initiatives; and
$40 million over two years to support CANARIE’s operation of Canada’s ultra-high speed
research network.
Accountability to Government
Multi-year Accountability Agreements (MYAAs) commit the Ministry and post-secondary
institutions to communicate results achieved through Reaching Higher investments. Data
elements which are collected and reported upon, at both the system and individual college level,
relate to government principles of access, quality and accountability. Specific areas of focus
include: enrolment – full-time headcount; under-represented students; Student Access
Guarantee compliance; credit transfer; class size; e-learning (courses; programs; registrations);
international (full and part-time enrolment; in-bound and out-bound exchanges; English as a
Second Language); supply chain compliance; space utilization; student satisfaction; graduation
rate; graduate employment rate; retention rates; quality of learning environment; and
requirement for a 10 percent over two years reduction in executive office costs beginning in
2011/12.
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